Zi Gong asked, "Why did Confucius call it Wen?"
Confucius said, "I am quick and eager to learn, and I am not ashamed to ask questions. It is called' Wen'."
Zi Gong asked, "Why do you want to give it to Kong Wen, A Zi and posthumous title?" Confucius said, "He is diligent and eager to learn, and he is not ashamed to ask questions, so posthumous title is a' Wen'."
Source: Chapter 5 of The Analects of Confucius Gongye Chang.
Extended data:
A detailed explanation of the story:
Confucius in the Spring and Autumn Period was a great thinker, politician, educator and founder of Confucianism. The feudal rulers of past dynasties respected him as the most learned "saint" by nature. But Confucius thought: "No matter who he is, including himself, he is not born with knowledge".
Once, Confucius went to a party. He is very interested in new things at the party. After asking this, he asked that again. I asked everything I didn't know.
At this time, someone laughed at him behind his back, saying that although he was the most learned man in the world, he was rude and asked everything. After hearing these vicious words, Confucius said, "I was born without knowledge." What do I not understand? This is a manifestation of asking yourself to know manners. "
On another occasion, there was a teacher named Kong in Weiguo. He is open-minded, studious and upright. At that time, there was a custom in society. After an excellent person died, the country would give him a name called posthumous title.
According to this custom, after the death of Mr. Kong, he was posthumously named Wen, and people called him Zi. Zi Gong, a student of Confucius, did not believe it. He didn't think much of this teacher named Kong, so he asked Confucius, "Teacher, why did Zi become a' Wen'?" Confucius said, "Being quick and eager to learn, and not ashamed to ask questions, is called" Wen ".
This teacher surnamed Kong is smart and studious, and often asks people with lower status and poor knowledge what they don't understand, so he won't feel humiliated. So he can use "Wen" as posthumous title. "